Hornets Work Out Six Front Court Players

The New Orleans Hornets will be holding their second draft workout today at the Alario Center. As expected, the workout includes six players, all of which are considered front court players. In the Hornets first draft workout, they looked exclusively at guards. Like the last workout, the team appears to be looking at some players that might not be drafted.

Without further adieu…

Cole Aldrich, Kansas, Center, 6-11, 245Long arms; has true center size and fundamentally sound; excellent shot-blocker and a productive rebounder. He averaged 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior, registering 15 double-doubles. He’s an expected lottery pick, and with a good workout could easily wind up as the Hornets pick.

Damion James, Texas, Guard/Forward, 6-7, 225Athletic forward with a blue-collar approach; aggressive rebounder on both ends; can hit the three, excellent leaper. Led Texas in scoring (18.0 ppg), rebounding (10.3 rpg), double-doubles (17), steals (57) and minutes played (30.3 mpg), and ranked second on the squad in blocked shots (40). Jones was a Third Team AP All-American. Right now he’s predicted to be drafted in the mid to late first round, but with great workouts it’s possible the Hornets could opt to take him earlier.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, Forward, 6-9, 235Active forward with a lot of intangibles; possesses solid athleticism and strength; long wingspan; can score with his back to the basket or hit 15-to-20 foot jump shot. Patterson averaged 14.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting .575 from the field and .348 from three. He’s another guy who many are predicting the Hornets could take if he’s available. A good workout could go a long way.

Strong and aggressive forward with a chiseled physique; overpowers smaller forwards; likes to bang in the paint, and will score and rebound. He led the SEC in minutes per game (37.3), and finished fourth in scoring (16.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (9.4 rpg). He played at LSU with Hornets guard Marcus Thornton. He’s unlikely to be drafted, but the the team might be looking to fill out their summer league roster.

Craig Brackins, Iowa State, Forward, 6-10, 230Highly skilled scorer with good size for a combo forward; has NBA three-point range; has a good work ethic and is a smart player. He led the team in scoring (16.5 ppg), while ranking second in rebounds (8.5 rpg) and assists (2.2 apg). He’s predicted as a late first/early second round pick, but could wind up sliding even further.

Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection by Sporting News and Third Team All-Atlantic 10 selection by the A-10 coaches. He led the team in rebounding at 8.7 rpg (fourth in the Atlantic 10) and in blocks at 1.4 bpg. Not much is known about Love, but it’s pretty unlikely that he will be drafted by anyone. He could parlay a strong senior season and some good workouts into a potential summer league appearance.